Fire extinguisher



Jan. 8, 1952 FERGUSON 2,582,112

FIRE EXTINGUISHER Original Filed April 23, 1946 Zmventor Vernon E. FeYq swq.

BB W10 Gttoisneg 1 Patented Jan. 8, 1 952 UNITED PATENT OFFICE k v I 2,582,112 r I FIRE EXTINGUISHER Vernon"E. .Ferguson,.Swan, Mo. Originalap Iication April 23, 1946, Serial" No.

664,394. Divided'and this application March 2s, 1951, SerialNo.*217,601 I 4. Claims. (01. 169-31) This invention relates to fire extinguishersroperated by fluid pressure. and constitutes a. division ofmy application for patent filed April 26,

1946, Serial No. 664,394, on which PatentyNo.

a: construction inwhichthe propulsive fluid is permitted to enter the discharge line to follow through ,and exhaust all of the extinguishing agent.

A still further object of the invention is toprovide a fireextinguisher whichis'operative atlany angle in relation to the ground plane.

Another object of the invention is to produce a sealing means for fire extinguishers of the general type described which involves a closure, such as a diaphragm, and a piercing point or knifeedge operated by pressure on the fluid to sever or rupture the sealing diaphragm.

With the general objects named in view and others as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a central vertical section through a fire extinguisher involving the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the discharge diaphragm rupturing device.

In the said drawing, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, l is a container for fire extinguishing fluid. The upper end of the container is internally threaded to receive a cap 2, said container below the cap being shouldered to receive a permanent partition 3 which is sweated or otherwise seated in a leakproof relation and provides a pair of chambers 4 and 5 respectively, adapted to hold fire extinguishing fluid and a propulsive fluid under pressure. The cap 2 is threaded down against a suitable gasket 6 abutting the partltioniilso thattherewill be no leak to. the atmosphere. The chamber 5 may be-charged through any conventional connection 1 or may be nonrecha-rgeable, desired.

The partition 3 is formed with a through openingor passage which is vnormally sealed by a closure disc 8, here shown as in the form of a diaphragm. In order to break the disk 8, in the construction shown, any suitable mechanically or. electrically operable device maybe employed, the construction illustrated showing ,a piercing point on the end of a screw stem 9 threaded through the cap and provided with an external operating handle l0.

To prevent mixing of the propulsive fluid with the fireextinguishing fluid upon the breaking of the disc 8, the chamber isfitted with a piston I I normally resting in contact with a concentric spacing head 12 projecting from the face of the partition. With this arrangement it will be apparent that when the disc or closure. is broken, the propulsive fluid will exert pressure on the piston to compress the fire extinguishing The discharge: end. of theflre extinguishing chamber is fitted with a cylinder or tube l3 either attached to the extinguisher directly as shown, or if desired, at the end of a discharge tube or line remote from the container l. The end of the discharge tube I3 is normally hermetically sealed by a disk or closure diaphragm l4.

Mounted within the discharge cylinder or tube I3 is a reciprocating tubular piston 15 having one end formed with a piston head or disk 16, so

that when main piston l I compresses the fire extinguishing fluid, the pressure build up will force piston l5 outwardly to cause its beveled piercing end H to sever or out through the disk It. The piercing or rupturing end I1 is formed by the bevelled or angular cutting of the tubular piston 15. In order to equalize the pressure on opposite sides of the piston head 16 and to prevent corrosion of the parts, a pin-hole opening [8 is formed in the piston head permitting fire extinguishing fluid to entirely fill tube l3. This is done to prevent possibility of the piston sticking on its seat since slight leakage past the piston would more likely bring about a freezing of the parts.

The discharge tube i3 is formed with a pair of oppositely projecting branch tubes or enlargements l9, and the pistontube I5 in the plane of the enlargements is cut away on opposite sides as at 20. Travel of the piston tube in both directions is limited by a stop wire or rod 2| projectpair of chambers, one of saidchambers being adapted to contain a propulsive fluid and the other a fire extinguishing fluid and having a discharge opening, a diaphragm sealing the discharge opening and broken by increase in pressure in the fire extinguishing chamber, a closure between said chambers, means to open the closure, a piston in the fire extinguishing chamber adapted to be driven by the propulsive fluid to expell the fire extinguishing fluid, and a bypass tube uncovered by the piston on predeterfere with proper discharge by moving too far outwardly. In order that the fire extinguishing fluid may be completely evacuated, a by-pass tube 22 is formed in the lower end of chamber 4. When the piston H is stopped by member 23 the by-pass 22 will stand open and the propulsive fluid will scavenge all fire extinguishing pair of chambers, one of said chambers being adapted to contain a propulsive fluid and the other a fire extinguishing fluid and having discharge opening, a diaphragm sealing the discharge opening and broken by an increase in pressure in the fire extinguishing chamber, a closure between the chambers, means to open the closure, a piston in the fire extinguishing chamber adapted to be driven by the-propulsive fluid to expel the flre'extinguishing fluid, a stop to limit piston travel, and a by-pass tube having its opposite ends connected to the fire extinguishing chamber and points on opposite sides of the piston when the latter is arrested by said stop.

2. A fire extinguishing device comprising a mined travel to permit the propulsive fluid to flow out through the discharge opening behind the extinguishing fluid.

3. A fire extinguishing device comprising a pair of chambers, one of said chambers being adapted to contain propulsive fluid and the other flre extinguishing fluid and having a discharge cylinder, a closure normally interposed between the two chambers, means to open the closure, a diaphragm sealing the discharge cylinder, and a piston reciprocating in said cylinder and having a piercing point to rupture the diaphragm when moved by increase in pressure within the fire extinguishing chamber.

4. In a fire extinguishing device, the combination of a chamber having fire extinguishing fluid adapted to be dischargedlunder pressure, a discharge cylinder for said fluid, a diaphragm normally sealing the cylinder, and a piston reciprocating in the cylinder and having a piercing point to rupture the diaphragm when moved by increase in pressure in the chamber.

VERNON E. FERGUSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 895,897 Saxton Aug. 11, 1903 1,500,946 Krauss July 8, 1924 2,346,183 Paulus et a1 Apr. 11, 1944 

